“This is another big step for us in our journey to be the type of team we all want to be,” said head coach Jeff Bzdelik.

Added forward Travis McKie: “I think it’s very good for our confidence, seeing that for many of us, it’s our first ACC road win. I think it builds our confidence up a lot and helps us continue to believe in our system and each other. As long as we play together for 40 minutes, we can play with anybody in this league.”

On several occasions in the second half, the Demon Deacons fended off rallies by Boston College. The Eagles never awakened in the first half, and while they played better in the second half they never got closer than three. Each time they did, Wake Forest had an answer at both ends, at times forcing turnovers and other times getting stops. The consistent result was a basket to open the lead up again.

Boston College started the second half well and got within 38-35 before the first media timeout. They would trade baskets, then later BC got within 44-40 on a three-pointer by Matt Humphrey. The Demon Deacons responded with eight unanswered points, and led by double digits for most of the remainder of the game.

Bzdelik said the team moved on to focus on Boston College as soon as Thursday night’s loss at Duke was over. That seemed apparent from the outset, as Wake Forest looked much more hungry than Boston College, who appeared to sleepwalk through much of the game. It was clear the Demon Deacons wanted to put an end to a three-game losing streak and a stretch where they had lost four of five.

There are plenty of areas where Wake Forest could use improvement. They shoot over 43 percent from the field, which is eighth in the ACC, and struggle from long range. They have more turnovers than assists and get out-rebounded by about four per night, the latter stat a bad one for a team not lacking size up front and having a solid rebounding small forward in McKie. It all adds up to them having the second-worst scoring margin in the conference, including the worst by a good margin in ACC play.

With the offensive issues, the Demon Deacons will need to keep up the defense they showed against Boston College. They held the Eagles to just over 31 percent shooting and blocked ten shots, and big men Ty Walker and Carson Desrosiers formed a presence that BC tried to steer clear of on several occasions. Walker blocked six shots and hauled down 11 rebounds, continuing to give them a presence they missed in the first nine games while he sat out due to a university suspension for violating the student code of conduct.

“It gives the guards confidence to get up into a guy, knowing that (Walker) is back there to help out,” said C.J. Harris.

The Demon Deacons don’t have much of a bench, which speaks to the talent shortage in the program at the moment. Part of that is a result of off-court issues, and it’s hurting this team right now. The bench has scored six or fewer points in five games this season, and part of that is inexperience since the three primary reserves are a pair of freshmen and a sophomore. In those five games, the Demon Deacons are 2-3.

On Saturday, it was basically freshman Chase Fischer and Desrosiers who produced, but that was enough. Both gave them different things, and just what they needed, as Fischer came in during the first half and hit a couple of three-pointers en route to 13 points, while Desrosiers had eight rebounds and gave them a presence BC didn’t want to drive inside against when Walker wasn’t in the game.

“I think our bench came up huge,” said McKie. “We’re not a deep team, and it’s well-documented. We’ve got to continue to fight, we’ve got to work with what we’ve got. If everybody contributes in their own special way, we can be a good team.”

Wake Forest is still a relatively young team despite five seniors. The core of the team is found in the younger classes with McKie, Harris and point guard Tony Chenault. Walker is the only senior who plays significant minutes.

Saturday’s win won’t make Wake Forest an NCAA Tournament team by a long shot. At this point, the only way that happens is if they win on Selection Sunday in Atlanta. But it will help them continue to try to improve on last year’s nightmare of a season and contend for one of the other postseason tournaments, something that would provide a boost to their rebuilding efforts.

Projected starting five:

So. G Tony Chennault
Jr. G C.J. Harris
So. F Travis McKie
Sr. F Nikita Mescheriakov
Sr. C Ty Walker

Important departures:

J.T. Terrell: 11.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.6 apg
Gary Clark: 10.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.6 apg
Ari Stewart: 8.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.1 apg

Percent returning scoring and rebounding:

Scoring: 54.4 percent
Rebounding: 71.6 percent

Additions:

None of note.

Schedule highlights:

Best non-conference game: at Seton Hall
Toughest conference stretch: Jan. 19-28 (at Duke, at Boston College, vs. Florida State, at Clemson)

Outlook:

Last season turned pretty ugly for coach Jeff Bzdelik and the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest dropped 15 of 16 ACC games and ranked as one of the worst major conference teams in the country. Since last season, the team lost about 50 percent of its scoring as Gary Clark graduated and J.T. Terrell and Ari Stewart left the team.

Sophomores Travis McKie and Tony Chennault return to lead a relatively young roster. The team figures to struggle again this season, but they should have better chemistry in Bzdelik’s second season. The team must remain competitive in more games to keep the heat off Ron Wellman, the university’s athletic director who canned Dino Gaudio, a Skip Prosser disciple whose teams had a bad habit of peaking in January, in favor of Wellman’s friend, Bzdelik.

Prediction: 11th

Back to ACC preview

Go coast to coast with a roundup of news from across the nation.

1. Miami finally got its man in hiring George Mason coach Jim Larranaga to become the Hurricanes’ next coach, according to the Associated Press. In Larranaga, the Hurricanes get a coach with a Final Four pedigree, and that’s coming out of the Colonial Athletic Conference. The Colonials’ coach has family roots in Florida, and the opportunity was particularly alluring, even though George Mason is a perennial NCAA Tournament contender in the CAA.
2. IUPUI hired its new coach from within in the program, elevating associate coach Todd Howard to the top spot, according to the Associated Press. Former head coach Ron Hunter left the program to coach Georgia State.
3. It’s a little hard to figure what Hollis Thompson is thinking, but the sophomore Hoya announced he will enter the NBA Draft without an agent, according to the Associated Press. Thompson averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this past season — not exactly attention-grabbing stats.
4. As much as Texas faithful don’t want to hear it, the decisions of Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and Jordan Hamilton make a little more sense. All three players will go through the NBA Draft process, according to ESPN’s Dana O’Neil. However, only Hamilton has immediate plans to sign with an agent, though Thompson figures to be a possible lottery pick.
5. Former Wake Forest sophomore guard Ari Stewart is heading to the West Coast to play for USC and coach Kevin O’Neill, according to Pedro Moura for ESPN Los Angeles.com.
6. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, you just won the 2011 national championship. Where are you going next? The weed man? Not a great idea. Police arrested the sophomore swingman April 21 and charged him with marijuana possession, according to the Associated Press.
7. Redemption remains a possibility for Coombs-McDaniel, much like it is for BYU’s Brandon Davies, according to a CBS Sports.com wire report. Davies had possibly the most noteworthy sex of any college athlete this year when the news broke in early March that the Cougars would suspend their best big man for violating the university’s honor code, which prohibits premarital sex. However, Davies is confident that he’ll complete the necessary penance to return to campus as a BYU student-athlete, then return to the court as a solid post player for the Cougars.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

The Miami coaching gig is a death trap.

It’s not that the Hurricanes will never succeed, and it’s not that a talented coach can’t attract some talented players to Coral Gables. The problem is that it will be almost always impossible to get fans in the stands, which is one of the primary concerns of athletic departments.

And without a naturally enthusiastic fan base, Miami’s coach must produce fantastic seasons on a regular basis. For new coach Jim Larranaga, that’s a tall order.

The Hurricanes have some talent heading into next season, especially if Reggie Johnson returns to school instead of remaining in the NBA Draft. He would join Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott in south Florida. Unfortunately for Larranaga and the ‘Canes, most people in south Florida are more interested in other teams and activities. The city’s mercurial fan base has the Miami Heat as their primary object of affection on the hardwood. Among the Coral Gables community and student body, ‘Canes football will always be the No. 1 sport on campus.

That leaves Larranaga’s crew fighting for the No. 3 spot in town with other sports teams, including the Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers and Miami Dolphins — NFL lockout permitting. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the allure of the beach and notorious night life. Unless Miami can knock off North Carolina and Duke on an annual basis, getting fans to show up at the BankUnited Center will be a very tough task.

The Hurricanes’ 7,200-seat arena would need about 50 percent of all Miami undergrads present and accounted for just to fill three-quarters of the seats. Larranaga would need to attract some serious talent to generate enough buzz to fill the rest of the arena. And that wasn’t his M.O. at George Mason, nor will ACC rivals like Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Gary Williams and Leonard Hamilton make it easy for him to get the best kids to play at Miami. Within the state of Florida, the Gators have the best shot at recruiting local kids, with Florida State’s Hamilton not far behind.

Despite that shark-infested climate, Miami remains an ACC team with ACC expectations. That means the Hurricanes need to sell out the big games, finish in the top third every now and then, and make a run to at least the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament when talented recruiting classes come through town. Ask Paul Hewitt and Al Skinner how that goes.

Good luck to Larranaga. This won’t be a vacation.

After a bumpy start to the season, conference teams enter the holiday tournament season needing to win some statement games. And the outlook isn’t great.

In the first week and a half, Wake Forest has dropped two home games, and Georgia Tech got obliterated by Kennesaw State. The Yellow Jackets gave up 80 points to the Owls, who mostly played only five guys. Georgia Tech’s eight-man rotation floundered, shooting only 35 percent while committing 19 turnovers.

In Winston-Salem, the Demon Deacons figure to have a long season ahead in coach Jeff Bzdelik’s first year at the helm. Stetson shot 46.4 percent against Wake Forest and, more revealing, out-rebounded Wake Forest 42-31. ACC teams shouldn’t get outworked in their own building to open the season, unless they’re facing a top 10 opponent. That’s just embarrassing.

But there’s plenty of time to change course. Although the conference ranks fifth in winning percentage of the six power conferences, there’s no shame in Virginia Tech losing at Kansas State or Miami losing at Memphis. Road victories for either team would have been a major upset for the conference.

The early season emergence of the ACC must start tonight, when Maryland plays Pittsburgh in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. The Terrapins are one of seven ACC teams playing in tournaments during the next 10 days. However, Maryland is one of the few teams with an opportunity to pick up crucial statement victories.

Against Pittsburgh, Maryland will be decided underdogs, and a strong showing, even in a loss, would give the Terrapins plenty to crow about. If the team can beat Pitt or their next opponent — either Illinois or Texas in the championship or consolation game — the trip to Madison Square Garden would be a success. The worst-case scenario for the ACC and Maryland is a two-game sweep in which the Terrapins don’t look competitive against some of the strongest teams from the Big East, Big Ten and Big 12.

In San Juan, North Carolina is the highest rank team in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. That means the young, unproven Tar Heels are supposed to win the tournament, and anything short of a three-game sweep against a field that includes West Virginia and Minnesota would be a disappointment. We’ll quickly find out how this year’s Tar Heels handle the pressure of lofty expectations after last season’s squad fell apart.

Back on the shores of South Carolina, North Carolina State is one of the favorites in the Charleston Classic. The only way for the Wolfpack to pick up a quality win is to reach the championship game and beat Georgetown. A loss to anyone besides the Hoyas would be detrimental to North Carolina State’s résumé and the ACC’s credibility.

Georgia Tech and Boston College have the best opportunity to grab unexpected quality wins in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City and the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, respectively. Georgia Tech will face either Syracuse or Michigan in the championship or consolation game of the Legends Classic. However, the Yellow Jackets must first get past a tough UTEP team, which is perfectly capable of knocking off a shaky ACC team. The Eagles face a bunch of tough, unranked teams, with the exception of a possible match up with Temple. Boston College needs to represent the ACC well in potential games against Cal, Georgia, Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.

On the West Coast, Virginia Tech finds itself in the same situation that North Carolina does in Puerto Rico: tournament favorite. The Hokies’ toughest opponents in the 76 Classic are Oklahoma State, UNLV, Stanford and Murray State. Unfortunately for Virginia Tech’s résumé, the Hokies won’t garner much more clout by doing anything less than stomping those teams, which won’t be easy, especially 3,000-plus miles away from Blacksburg, Va.

And then there’s Duke. The reigning national champs are No. 1, so they’re supposed to beat anyone, anytime. Despite those ridiculous expectations, the Blue Devils would have a great opportunity to assert themselves as the unquestioned favorites to win this season’s national title if they draw Kansas State and beat the Wildcats in the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo. It’s practically a home game for the Wildcats, so a Duke victory would be huge for the ACC’s elite.

Although critics poke the ACC for lacking the quantity of elite teams that the Big East boasts, the ACC has once again proven that its best teams are legitimate title contenders every year. Duke managed to fly under the radar last season as the media fawned over veteran-laden Kansas and John Calipari’s freshmen sensations at Kentucky. But in the end, a ruthlessly balanced team stormed through the post-season and beat Cinderella, aka Butler, in a thrilling championship game. The two will reprise that battle in December when they meet in New Jersey.

This season, Duke will be on everyone’s radar. The Blue Devils return most of their key contributors, with the exception of Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Scheyer was one of Duke’s Big Three last season, joining Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to form the most potent threesome in the ACC. Coach K will look for the rest of the roster to make up for Scheyer’s production. Don’t underestimate the importance of Zoubek, who became a starter midway through last season and dominated the boards at both ends. His presence was a catalyst for Duke’s late-season boost in efficiency.

But if Duke falters, ACC haters will once again jump up and down and shout about how overrated the conference is. There’s not a clear No. 2 team, though Virginia Tech has an excellent chance to emerge as an elite squad. The Hokies return nearly everyone from last season’s team, including all five starters. This veteran squad is poised to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament, especially if the Hokies figure out how to be more efficient on offense.

In recent years, the ACC has been marked by relative stability, especially among the coaches. That changed dramatically this past off-season with a couple of inexplicable moves. Clemson’s Oliver Purnell left the Tigers for DePaul. The man obviously likes renovation projects. Purnell successfully turned Clemson into a legitimate ACC heavyweight after the Tigers had been a doormat for most of the previous decade. He leaves for one of the Big East’s doormats.

While Purnell chose to leave Clemson, Wake Forest’s Dino Gaudio didn’t get to decide his fate. The school dismissed Gaudio after the Demon Deacons had a disappointing end to the regular season and post-season. A 30-point massacre at the hands of Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament left a bad taste in the mouths of Wake Forest’s power brokers, who lost confidence in Gaudio. No one doubted his recruiting prowess – and new Demon Deacons coach Jeff Bzdelik can thank Gaudio for another strong class – but the highly-ranked recruits rarely led to highly-ranked teams at the end of the season.

Like Gaudio, Boston College’s Al Skinner was shown the door for a mildly questionable reason. Skinner, a well-respected coach, was Gaudio’s opposite. He rarely brought top recruits to Chestnut Hill, but he coached his guys to play tough, efficient basketball and often sneaked into the top half of the ACC standings. But Skinner’s teams were never flashy, and pro sports-obsessed Boston fans didn’t pay the Eagles too much attention – or pay for many tickets.

Boston College executives want more fans in the stands, so they removed Skinner in favor of Cornell’s Steve Donahue. The Big Red’s main man led Cornell to startling success in the Ivy League, which had been dominated by Penn and Princeton for seemingly the entire existence of the league. Donahue’s teams launched bombs from three-point territory all day and night, and the team’s offensive efficiency led to upsets of Temple and Wisconsin in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Chicks dig the long ball, and Eagles execs hope Donahue’s style will fill Conte Forum.

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of preseason awards. After that, we dive head first into the team-by-team previews.

2010-11 ACC AWARDS

Coach of the Year: Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech

Coach on the Hot Seat: Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State

Player of the Year: Kyle Singler, Duke

First-Team All-ACC:

Kyle Singler, Duke

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech

Jordan Williams, Maryland

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech

John Henson, North Carolina

Second-Team All-ACC:

Tracy Smith, North Carolina State

Chris Singleton, Florida State

Seth Curry, Duke

C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

Joe Trapani, Boston College

Third-Team All-ACC:

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Dorenzo Hudson, Virginia Tech

Larry Drew II, North Carolina

Durand Scott, Miami

Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech

Best NBA Prospect: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Newcomer of the Year: Seth Curry, Duke

Rookie of the Year: C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

All-Rookie Team:

C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Kyrie Irving, Duke

Ryan Harrow, North Carolina State

Reggie Bullock, North Carolina

Defense Player of the Year: Chris Singleton, Florida State

All-Defensive Team:

Chris Singleton, Florida State

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech

Kyle Singler, Duke

Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech

John Henson, North Carolina

Projected Finish:

1. Duke

2. Virginia Tech

3. Florida State

4. North Carolina

5. Clemson

6. North Carolina State

7. Maryland

8. Virginia

9. Georgia Tech

10. Miami

11. Boston College

12. Wake Forest

Duke Blue Devils (35-5, 13-3)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Cameron Crazies are first and foremost thrilled to have the national title back in Durham. For the fourth time in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career, the Blue Devils enter the season trying to defend that title. Since they accomplished that feat in 1992, only Florida has managed to win back-to-back titles. This season, the Blue Devils have a legitimate shot at doing it again.

The Blue Devils return two-thirds of last season’s three-headed monster: Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. In addition to those two, who each averaged more than 17 points per game last season, the Blue Devils return a trio of talented frontcourt weapons: the Plumlee brothers (Miles and Mason) and Ryan Kelly. They also have good depth in the backcourt with Andre Dawkins at point guard.

We’ll Miss You:

Despite the promising returning cast, Krzyzewski will need to find a way to win without Jon Scheyer, who engineered last season’s fantastic run as the team’s makeshift point guard. Although Scheyer had mostly played shooting guard during his first three seasons, Coach K asked him to run the offense last season. He responded by averaging 18.2 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Besides Scheyer, Duke loses some frontcourt beef in Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Zoubek saved his best action for the final two months of his collegiate career. After Krzyzewski inserted Zoubek into the starting lineup, Duke’s offense flourished. With more self-control, the former foul machine averaged 5.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game – in only 18.7 minutes per game. Thomas was far less proficient at grabbing rebounds and taking up space, but his effort at both ends made him valuable.

Duke also will be without the services of sparingly used big man Olek Czyz, who transferred to Nevada.

Welcome to the Program:

Entering last season, most observers – including me – figured that Duke would be strong and potentially an under-the-radar title contender. However, even the most optimistic Duke sympathizer figured that the lack of experienced backcourt depth would haunt the Blue Devils at some point. The team’s best title chances seemed to be in 2010-11 when point guard Kyrie Irving and sharpshooter Seth Curry arrived.

Well, Irving and Curry are ready to suit up for this Blue Devils squad, which already have one title under its belt. Irving is a candidate for ACC rookie of the year and will compete with Curry, a transfer from Liberty and brother of legendary Davidson guard Stephen, for the top newcomer in the ACC. Combined, Irving and Curry should more than make up for the loss in production from Scheyer’s graduation.

Joshua Hairston, a four-star power forward out of Spotsylvania, Va., and Tyler Thornton, a likely reserve point guard from Washington, D.C, join Irving in one of the top recruiting classes in the ACC.

Who They Play:

As usual, Coach K has the Blue Devils set to play several tough opponents during the non-conference slate, highlighted by a rematch of the national championship game against Butler in early December in New Jersey. Duke also gets Marquette, Michigan State, Oregon and either Gonzaga or Kansas State – with only the Spartans coming to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

In the ACC, the Blue Devils’ two-game match ups aren’t ridiculously daunting: Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Virginia. Duke will face Florida State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest on the road without a return home game.

Keep Up the Good Work:

When you win a national championship, you’re obviously doing a lot right already. The Blue Devils need to remain balanced this season by playing a ruthlessly efficient offense and shutdown defense. In recent years, Duke has had one of the stingiest perimeter defenses in the country, which prevents teams that love the three-point shot from getting hot and stealing games. If Duke’s relatively young backcourt players can continue that tradition, this team should be as good on defense as last year’s team was.

Room for Improvement:

As we just mentioned, it’s hard to improve on being the best. Duke’s young guards will need to mature quickly or face the wrath of Krzyzewski and veterans like Singler and Smith.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Duke could win it all again. Most people assume that no one will repeat as national champions with the NBA Draft beckoning the best athletes. However, Smith and Singler hung around for one more season, and they have perhaps even more raw talent around them this season than they did last season.

Outlook:

The Blue Devils should be just as good as they were last season. The only question is whether any other team in the ACC – or the rest of the country – can step up to seriously threaten Duke’s drive to back-to-back titles. Coach K makes winning ACC titles and earning No. 1 seeds a seemingly unspectacular feat. This season should be no different as the Blue Devils figure to be spectacular in nearly every phase of the game en route to a conference title and maybe another national title.

Virginia Tech Hokies (25-9, 10-6)

Glad to Have You Back:

Quite simply – everyone is back. Virginia Tech returns its starting lineup and every player who logged at least eight minutes per game last season. The most critical players are in the Hokies’ outstanding backcourt: seniors Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson. The pair form one of the best guard combinations in the entire country and easily the most experienced in the ACC. Together, they averaged 35.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season.

We’ll Miss You:

Lewis Witcher is the only contributor the Hokies will miss this season. The senior graduated in May after scoring a total of 24 points in 237 minutes last season.

Welcome to the Program:

With five seniors in the starting lineup and plenty of experience on the bench, Virginia Tech didn’t need to add many players. But coach Seth Greenberg still nabbed a couple of players who could become important contributors. Freshman Jarrell Eddie is an athletic wing player who can play on the perimeter or in the post, and former Florida Gator Allan Chaney adds some serious muscle in the post at 235 pounds.

Who They Play:

Virginia Tech should be the favorite in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif. The Hokies’ top competition out west will include Oklahoma State, Stanford and UNLV. In addition to that tournament, Virginia Tech will face a huge road game at Kansas State in the team’s second game of the season. The schedule-makers clearly consider Virginia Tech to be an ACC heavyweight because the Hokies draw Final Four-contender Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Virginia Tech gets a pretty favorable draw in the conference with two games against Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia and Wake Forest. All of those teams have question marks to answer entering the season, which might make Virginia Tech the favorite at home and on the road against all five. The Hokies get road trips to Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina State without the luxury of hosting those teams in Blacksburg. A home date in late February against Duke could be the game of the year in the ACC.

Keep Up the Good Work:

As usual, Greenberg’s teams played excellent defense last season, especially at home. Jeff Allen and Delaney are two of the best defenders in the ACC, and they will continue to make intense pressure their hallmark.

Room for Improvement:

The Hokies need to win the big games this season. At 23-8 after the ACC Tournament, Virginia Tech was one of the best teams that missed the NCAA Tournament. However, the Hokies simply lacked enough marquee victories. This season, the Hokies have the potential to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, but they must first prove their worth by winning big games against the likes of Purdue, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Duke.

Don’t Be Surprised:

By the season’s end, Delaney could be an All-American. The senior guard is one of the best players in the ACC, and that usually means he should be on the national radar as one of the best player in the nation. And it wouldn’t surprise me if three or four Hokie starters end up on the first or second All-ACC teams.

Outlook:

Virginia Tech is poised to return to the NCAA Tournament and make some noise. This team struggled on offense at times last season. But if they can gel on that side of the ball, the Hokies’ defense will carry them to at least a No. 2 finish in the ACC and a likely top four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida State Seminoles (22-10, 10-6)

Glad to Have You Back:

Florida State returns a trio of players who could become stars this season: Chris Singleton, Michael Snaer and Derwin Kitchen. Singleton is an explosive athlete who is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder. Snaer struggled at times during his rookie campaign, but he has the tools needed to become a dominant wing player for the Seminoles. And Kitchen should be the engine that drives the offense. He had a respectable 1.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season.

We’ll Miss You:

The No. 1 defensive team in the ACC and one of the top defensive teams in the country will miss its centerpiece: Solomon Alabi. The sophomore 7-footer took his game to the NBA after swatting 75 shots last season and adding 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Seminoles also need to replace junior Jordan DeMercy, who transferred to Georgia State, and senior Ryan Reid, a veteran leader who contributed 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Welcome to the Program:

As usual, coach Leonard Hamilton has a solid recruiting class coming to campus. Point guard Ian Miller figures to be a critical piece of the puzzle for the Seminoles because he can lead the offense and create scoring opportunities for himself. Okaro White is a wiry, uber-athletic forward. And the Seminoles will finally get 7-footer Jon Kreft to suit up in Tallahassee. The center was scheduled to arrive in 2007, but academic eligibility issues forced him into the junior college circuit for a couple of seasons.

Who They Play:

For several years in a row, Florida State was a perennial bubble team, and critics often pointed to the Seminoles’ weak non-conference schedule. Once again, Florida State has only a handful of opportunities to notch marquee wins outside conference play. The Seminoles’ best shots come against Florida and Ohio State – both in Tallahassee – and a potential second-round game against Butler in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.

In the ACC, Florida State gets two games against Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Seminoles’ lone games against Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia Tech will be on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

The Seminoles squashed opponents’ offenses last season, ending the year as the top-ranked team in defense efficiency, according to Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency statistics. Even without Alabi, this team figures to remain a great defensive squad.

Room for Improvement:

Conversely, Florida State was borderline awful on offense at times last season. The Seminoles were often victimized by long scoring droughts. The veteran squad, led by Singleton, Snaer and Kitchen, need to achieve a balance of offensive discipline and pure athleticism. If they do, this team should be even better.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Chris Singleton could become a fixture of SportsCenter highlights reels this season. With Alabi gone, he will likely be the No. 1 option on offense, and his athletic talent will guarantee at least one or two jaw-dropping plays per game.

Outlook:

The Seminoles are starting to expect success on the hardwood these days. This season should deliver another NCAA Tournament trip if the offense can become a little more consistent. The defense will remain stout, which will keep the Seminoles competitive against almost any opponent.

North Carolina Tar Heels (20-17, 5-11)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Tar Heels look to flip the script on last season’s squad. Without a proven backcourt, North Carolina relied on its big men much of last season. However, this season, the guards figure to carry the team. Larry Drew II, Dexter Strickland and Leslie Strickland are three of the top six returning scorers. A couple of other newcomers will add to North Carolina’s strength, which could help the Tar Heels forget a turbulent 2009-10 season.

We’ll Miss You:

The Tar Heels must find a new frontcourt rotation after Deon Thompson graduated, Ed Davis went to the NBA, and Travis and David Wear transferred to UCLA. North Carolina also must replace the veteran leadership of Marcus Ginyard, who offered more as a defensive specialist and senior leader than his stat line suggests, and Will Graves, who was dismissed from the team. In sum, that’s about two-thirds of the team’s scoring, and North Carolina wasn’t exactly its usual offensive juggernaut last season.

Welcome to the Program:

The Tar Heels import one of the best recruiting classes in the country, including uber-athletic swingman Harrison Barnes, whom many experts consider to be the top recruit in the country. Kendall Marshall is likely the point guard of the future for North Carolina, and Reggie Bullock will join the rotation at shooting guard.

Although he’s not a freshman, transfer Justin Knox, a graduated senior from Alabama, could be one of the biggest additions. Physically, he is the biggest at 6-9 and 240 pounds. He will pair with Tyler Zeller in the frontcourt.

Who They Play:

As always, North Carolina plays a tough schedule that includes powerhouses such as Kentucky and Texas. The Tar Heels also draw Illinois and William & Mary, and they could play West Virginia, Vanderbilt or Minnesota in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

North Carolina will play two games apiece in conference action against Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State and North Carolina State. North Carolina’s lone games against Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia are on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

North Carolina’s height last season made the Tar Heels one of the top rebounding teams in the country. It’s hard to imagine that happening again this season without Davis and Thompson, and Graves was a great rebounding wing player, but John Henson has beefed up to compete for more rebounds in the post. His gigantic wingspan and Vince Carter-esque athleticism should propel him from 4.4 rebounds per game to closer to eight.

Room for Improvement:

The offense was disjointed last season, often because the team lacked cohesion. Coach Roy Williams must find a rotation and stick with it. The roster befits a classic Williams-coached fast-tempo squad. If Williams can find roles for all his talented players and convince them to play within that role, this team should return to the upper half of the ACC.

Don’t Be Surprised:

The newcomers could become the biggest names on this team. NBA scouts are drooling over Barnes. But Knox might be the type of grinder who posts good but not spectacular stats like 10 points and six rebounds every night. More importantly, he can handle opponents’ beefiest big men. With Barnes’ flash and Knox’s fight, the new Heels could return North Carolina to its old dominant form.

Outlook:

After more than a half decade of consistency, North Carolina suffered through a rebuilding year last season. The roster for this season figures to be a better match for the Tar Heels’ style, and a strong recruiting class should make North Carolina a dominant team once again. The Tar Heels aren’t in Duke’s class, but they will compete in the second tier and return to the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson Tigers (21-11, 9-7)

Glad to Have You Back:

After the surprising departure of Oliver Purnell for DePaul, Clemson transitions to a new era under Brad Brownell. The new coach will benefit from a roster filled with talent. Seniors Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant will be the veteran leaders on a team that includes skilled wingmen like Tanner Smith and Milton Jennings and a blazingly fast guard in Andre Young. In sum, the team returns nearly 70 percent of its scoring from last season’s NCAA Tournament squad.

We’ll Miss You:

In recent years, Purnell transformed Clemson from a regular cellar dweller to a regular contender in the ACC. Fans will miss his up-tempo, pressure defense that generated memorable upsets against the likes of Duke – a couple of times.

On the court, the Tigers will miss their leader from the past few years: Trevor Booker. The senior graduated as one of the program’s most dominating players, and he had a great stat line in his final season with 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Tigers also will enter the season without David Potter, a key member of the frontcourt rotation who graduated in May.

Welcome to the Program:

Brownell will introduce a drastically different style based on lengthy possessions and tight defense. The former Wright State and UNC-Wilmington coach will likely decelerate the Tigers into one of the slowest-paced teams in the ACC.

As a new coach, Brownell’s lone new arrival is Cory Stanton, a point guard from Springfield, Tenn., who will be third on the depth chart behind Demontez Stitt and Andre Young.

Who They Play:

In his first season with the Tigers, Brownell has scheduled a soft non-conference slate, with the highlights coming against Michigan and South Carolina. Clemson could possibly face Xavier in the Paradise Jam, which would be a critical marquee win for the Tigers.

In conference action, the Tigers draw two games with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and North Carolina State. They also get Duke, Maryland and Virginia on the road without a return game.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Clemson’s defense last season was often spectacular, as Purnell’s pressure defense forced a ridiculous number of turnovers. Brownell won’t employ such pressure, but these Tigers know how to attack on defense. If they maintain that intensity in a new system, they should remain in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Room for Improvement:

Live by the sword, die by the sword – an apt cliché for the Tigers last season. Although they were adept at forcing turnovers, the Tigers too often gave the ball right back with turnovers of their own. Clemson finished the season with 27 more turnovers than assists, a number that must change in the new world order.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Look for Clemson to embrace Brownell’s slower pace on the court. The Tigers must find a way to move on from the Trevor Booker era, and a methodical offense could lead to greater efficiency. This team will score fewer points because they won’t be hustling up and down the court. But Clemson might post even more wins this season if the Tigers play smart, efficient ball at both ends of the court.

Outlook:

The Purnell administration left plenty of talent for Brownell to work with, and the outlook is promising. Although the Tigers will likely go through some growing pains as they adjust to a new system, an easy non-conference schedule should ease those frustrations. By ACC action, Clemson should be ready to roll toward the top of the standings.

North Carolina State Wolfpack (20-16, 5-11)

Glad to Have You Back:

After testing his NBA value, senior Tracy Smith decided to return to Raleigh for one final season with the Wolfpack. He will anchor North Carolina State’s offense after leading the team with 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. Smith has the potential to be one of the most dominant big men in the ACC this season, and he has a better supporting cast around him this season, which should lead to more open looks.

We’ll Miss You:

The Woflpack will miss forward Dennis Horner, who graduated after last season. He was a fan favorite because of his energy. Horner always gave 100 percent of his effort despite often being athletically overmatched.

The Wolfpack lose one other starter, Farnold Degand, who also graduated. Degand averaged 2.5 assists per game as one of coach Sidney Lowe’s two point guards. However, neither Degand nor Javier Gonzalez could keep the offense flowing smoothly. North Carolina State ranked near the bottom of the ACC in offensive efficiency in three of Degand’s four seasons.

Welcome to the Program:

There’s plenty of hope – and high expectations – in Raleigh this season as Lowe brings in a great recruiting class. C.J. Leslie, Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown will all play extensively as freshmen and need to contribute to help elevate the Wolfpack into the top half of the ACC standings. Leslie is an athletic forward who has the skills to score in multiple ways, making him a prime candidate to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Harrow and Brown give Lowe more explosive options at point guard than the Wolfpack have had in many years.

Who They Play:

North Carolina State will try to bring home the ACC’s third Charleston Classic title in the tournament’s three seasons when the Wolfpack take the court in November. The Wolfpack open the tournament against East Carolina and could face the likes of George Mason, Charlotte and Georgetown. Anything less than a trip to the tournament’s title game would be disappointing, and an early season victory against Georgetown would be a huge confidence builder. The Wolfpack have plenty of opportunities to pick up good wins with games against Wisconsin, Syracuse and Arizona, with the first two coming on the road.

The Wolfpack get two games against Clemson, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina and Wake Forest in ACC action, with road games without a return game against Boston College, Maryland and Virginia.

Keep Up the Good Work:

North Carolina State was good at defending the perimeter last season as most teams had to score within the arc against the Wolfpack. With more experience and size in the post this season, that will be harder to do. So if North Carolina State can maintain the stout outside defense, this team’s already-good defense will become even better.

Room for Improvement:

The perimeter will also be important on offense for the Wolfpack. The team shot only 33.3 percent from three-point range last season, which made it easier for opponents to double-team Smith. With the addition of Leslie and some better three-point shooting, North Carolina State should be able to free Smith for more open looks near the basket. If teams continue to center on Smith, the rest of the players must make them pay.

Don’t Be Surprised:

With Smith manning the post, Leslie should get plenty of opportunities to operate one-on-one. He’ll also get plenty of playing time. That’s a recipe for success for such a talented player, and don’t be surprised if the Rookie of the Year award comes to Raleigh this season.

Outlook:

Sidney Lowe’s job might be the least secure of any ACC coach. Team observers, especially in Raleigh, will be evaluating the Wolfpack nearly on a game-by-game basis. Look for Lowe and the Wolfpack to ignore that noise and deliver the team’s best season in several years. North Carolina State has a realistic chance to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, especially with the expanded field.

Maryland Terrapins (24-9, 13-3)

Glad to Have You Back:

Coach Gary Williams enjoyed Maryland’s resurgence last season as, for the first time in several years, no one whispered about whether his job was on the line. Entering this season, Maryland will look to follow up on last season’s share of the ACC regular-season title with a new trio of senior leaders: Adrian Bowie, Dino Gregory and Cliff Tucker. The seniors will likely step into starting positions and surround the cornerstone of Maryland’s offense: Jordan Williams. The sophomore big man promises to be a candidate for ACC player of the year after averaging 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season.

We’ll Miss You:

Greivis is gone. The ACC’s most fiery player, Greivis Vasquez, has graduated from Maryland and taken his 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game to the NBA. But Maryland needs to replace more than their top scorer and emotional leader; the Terrapins also need to replace their No. 2 and 3 scoring options: Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes. Collectively, the trio accounted for 55 percent of the team’s scoring.

Welcome to the Program:

Maryland has a large, five-player recruiting class arriving at College Park. Most of the class received solid but not outstanding reviews. Swingman Mychal Parker is the most heralded of the bunch. Gary Williams is usually reluctant to rely on freshmen, but he will probably need to tap the youth movement to help replace the production of Vasquez, Hayes and Milbourne.

Who They Play:

Maryland plays a bunch of soft opponents around potentially tough match ups from Pennsylvania schools: Villanova, Temple and Penn State. The Terrapins also play in the 2K Sports Classic and will get Pittsburgh for sure and either Illinois or Texas in the second game of the national rounds of the tournament. The team should be on high upset alert against the College of Charleston in the regional round of the 2K Sports Classic.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Although Maryland’s offense appeared unstoppable at times last season, the team’s defense fueled many of the Terrapins’ back-breaking runs. Without Vasquez and Hayes on offense, the Terrapins need to continue to play great defense to stay close until they can identify reliable scoring options.

Room for Improvement:

If you take out the long-range production of Vasquez, Milbourne and Hayes, the rest of the Terrapins made only 49 three-pointers. To prevent teams from constantly double-teaming Jordan Williams, Sean Mosely, Bowie and Tucker need to improve their shooting touch from behind the arc.

Don’t Be Surprised:

The Terrapins will frequently struggle on offense. It’s unclear whom Gary Williams will count on to run the offense and whether that guy can get the job done effectively. Jordan Williams is a stud in the post, but he needs someone to keep the offense flowing so he can get clean looks. Those good opportunities might be few and far between this season.

Outlook:

With the second-best home-court advantage in the ACC, Maryland will always be tough at home. However, long offensive droughts could turn the always-energetic crowed against the guys in white jerseys at times this season. Maryland will be going through a transition this year, and Bowie and Tucker will need to make significant leaps forward to keep Maryland near the top of the ACC standings. More likely, this team falls back to the middle of the pack.

Virginia Cavaliers (15-16, 5-11)

Glad to Have You Back:

Coach Tony Bennett Jr. enters his second year as the Cavaliers’ head man, and he is starting to shape this team. Seniors Mike Scott and Mustapha Farrakhan will likely be in charge of leading a young team this season. Scott, an athletic forward, is the leading returning scorer, after he averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season. Junior Sammy Zeglinski is a tough-as-nails guard who also will likely need to step up to keep Virginia competitive this season.

We’ll Miss You:

The Cavaliers enter this season without a clear go-to scorer after sophomore stud Sylven Landesberg left the team in early March. He failed to meet academic standards and, by most accounts, was more interested in his NBA potential at that point in the season. The team’s leading scorer from last season is now playing for Maccabi Haifa in Israel.

Besides Landesberg and his 17.3 points per game, the Cavaliers will also miss Calvin Baker, Jerome Meyinsse and Soloman Tat, who all graduated. Tristan Spurlock transferred to Certral Florida, and Jeff Jones left the program for Rider. In sum, Virginia must replace about 60 percent of its scoring – and the team wasn’t exactly prolific last season.

Welcome to the Program:

Bennett’s first recruiting class in Charlottesville is huge – seven fresh faces will be making their debut at Virginia this season. Shooting guard K.T. Harrell, from Montgomery, Ala., is the biggest catch in this class, and he leads a balanced group that includes four guards and three forwards. Not surprisingly, Bennett continues to strongly recruit his former Pac-10 territory – he arrived in Charlottesville via Washington State – with two newcomers hailing from California and Washington.

Who They Play:

Give Bennett credit for scheduling one of the toughest non-conference slates of any ACC team. Despite significant roster changes, the Cavaliers face William & Mary, Stanford, Washington, either Kentucky or Oklahoma, Minnesota, Oregon and Iowa State all before New Year’s. If Virginia emerges with only three or four losses, the Cavaliers will be in great shape heading into conference play.

In the ACC, the Cavaliers draw two games against Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers will hit the road to play Florida State, Miami and Wake Forest without seeing those three back in Charlottesville.

Keep Up the Good Work:

As Bennett-coached teams tend to do, the Cavaliers played a slow-paced, ball control game last season. Virginia committed only 10.7 turnovers per game last season. Landesberg accounted for about 25 percent of those turnovers, so Virginia might be even stingier with the ball this season. However, Bennett will need to hope that his freshmen buy in to the system from Day One or else this team could regress.

Room for Improvement:

Despite the lack of turnovers, the Cavaliers’ inability to shoot dropped them to No. 10 in the conference in offensive efficiency, as measured by Ken Pomeroy’s statistics. A ball control offense requires players to shoot a high percentage or grab lots of offensive rebounds, and the Cavaliers did neither last season.

Don’t Be Surprised:

With a larger percentage of the roster on board for Bennett’s style of play this season, the Cavaliers might be surprisingly tough despite their youth. The team has a solid nucleus of veterans in Scott, Zeglinski and Farrakhan, and they must lead this offense to help the Cavaliers build on a respectable 5-11 conference record.

Outlook:

The Cavaliers have a legitimate chance to win six or seven games in the ACC. If they make it through a fairly tough non-conference schedule with only a handful of losses, the Cavaliers might remain relevant in the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation longer than many might expect. However, in the end, Virginia is probably headed to the NIT this season, which would provide great experience for a very young team.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (23-13, 7-9)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Yellow Jackets will shift from a frontcourt-dominant team to a guard-heavy lineup. And junior point guard Iman Shumpert will be the center of attention. Shumpert is the team’s leading returning scorer at 10.0 points per game, and he’s also the catalyst for an offense that needs to improve. For Georgia Tech to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive trip, Shumpert must help Georgia Tech avoid scoring droughts. To do so, he needs to cut down on turnovers after averaging 4.0 assists and 3.1 turnovers per game last season. As a team, the Yellow Jackets gave away the ball more than 16 times per game.

We’ll Miss You:

With the departure of Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, the Yellow Jackets can’t afford to be sloppy. Georgia Tech’s twin towers have moved on to the NBA, taking with them a combined 25.5 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. The duo blocked 123 shots last season, making the Yellow Jackets one of the toughest defensive squads in the conference last season. Georgia Tech doesn’t have a single returning player taller than 6-6, so frontcourt defense will be a huge liability this season.

Welcome to the Program:

The good news for coach Paul Hewitt and the Yellow Jackets is that the team is reloading in the frontcourt while leaning on veterans in the backcourt. A trio of freshmen big men will likely see significant playing time: Nate Hicks, Kammeon Holsey and Daniel Miller. Hosley and Miller were nationally ranked recruits entering the 2009-10 season who sat out on redshirt scholarships.

Although he’s not eligible this season, Georgia Tech can look forward to getting the services of Brandon Reed in 2011-12, a transfer from Arkansas State who won the Sun Belt Conference’s Freshman of the Year award after averaging 15.1 points per game.

Who They Play:

The Yellow Jackets play a fairly tough non-conference schedule even if they don’t have a guaranteed match up against an elite team. Georgia Tech will hit the boardwalk in November to play in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, N.J., where the Yellow Jackets will play UTEP in the opener and either Michigan or Syracuse in the second game. Georgia Tech also gets Niagara, Richmond, Siena, Georgia and Charlotte – a bunch of strong but not spectacular opponents.

In the ACC, Georgia Tech gets two games against Clemson, Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, plus single games on the road against Boston College, Duke and North Carolina State.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Ideally, the Yellow Jackets will continue to be defensive stalwarts, ranking among the top teams in Division I in defensive efficiency. However, without the likes of Lawal, Favors and graduated senior D’Andre Bell, Georgia Tech’s defense will likely have occasional lapses.

Room for Improvement:

This team must shoot better. The three leading returning scorers – Shumpert, Brian Oliver and Mfon Udofia – shot 38.5, 39.4 and 36.8 percent from the field, respectively. That’s a recipe for disaster for a team that must rely on its guards, who often will be guarded by taller opponents.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Freshman Daniel Miller has a legitimate shot at becoming a major factor. He studied under Lawal and Favors last season as a redshirt scholarship player. He should know Hewitt’s system, and with little other experienced big men, he’ll be able to compete for significant minutes early in the season.

Outlook:

Georgia Tech’s defense covered up some major weaknesses on offense last season. With the key members of that defense gone, the Yellow Jackets will likely struggle this season, especially during the rugged conference slate. Yellow Jacket fans must hope that Georgia Tech’s guards have spent hours in the gym this off-season working on their shot from everywhere on the court. Georgia Tech’s strength must be its experienced backcourt, and Shumpert, Lance Storrs and Maurice Miller must set the pace for the younger guards, such as Oliver, Udofia and Glen Rice Jr.

Miami Hurricanes (20-13, 4-12)

Glad to Have You Back:

In past years, the backcourt has been Miami’s strength. This season will continue that tradition with Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott. Swingman Adrian Thomas will add to that pair to give the Hurricanes a solid three-point shooting threat. Scott and Grant can run the offense and averaged more than three assists per game last season. Meanwhile, Grant and Thomas can stretch opposing defenses as they shot better than 41 percent from behind the arc.

We’ll Miss You:

The Hurricanes had one of the most underrated players in the ACC last season in senior forward Dwayne Collins. He averaged 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. Although Miami prefers a guard-oriented lineup, the Hurricanes need Reggie Johnson and Julian Gamble to hold their own in the post.

Miami will also miss its second-leading scorer, James Dews, who graduated after averaging 11.5 points per game last season. Although Dews was capable of scoring in bunches, he struggled with consistency.

Welcome to the Program:

The Hurricanes don’t have one of the strongest recruiting classes in the ACC, but they do have a couple of potentially key players. Donnavan Kirk returns from an injury-shortened freshman season with four years of remaining eligibility. He will probably factor into coach Frank Haith’s frontcourt rotation. In addition, new arrival shooting guard Rion Brown will be another long-range threat for the Hurricanes.

Who They Play:

Miami does not have too many opportunities to collect big wins during the non-conference slate, so games against Memphis, Mississippi and West Virginia will be huge. In the ACC, the Hurricanes will get two games against Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Miami was surprisingly efficient on offense last season, averaging a respectable 72 points per game. Collins’ 60 percent shooting significantly contributed to that efficiency, so Miami will need to be sure that his replacements continue to take good shots and work for post position as the guards stretch the court.

Room for Improvement:

To make that happen, Grant and Thomas need to be selective with their shots. Those perimeter players shot better from three-point range than they did inside the arc. If they can elevate their mid-range game or get to the rim more often, the Hurricanes’ offense could become very difficult for opponents to stop.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Reggie Johnson is poised to have a huge season. The center is a 6-10 300-pounder, which is a load for any team to defend. Johnson flashed moments of brilliance last season in averaging 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in only 13.6 minutes per game. He must cut down on the fouls – he also had 2.2 fouls per game in those limited minutes – to maximize his potential.

Outlook:

Miami won’t be an easy win for anyone in the ACC. The talented backcourt and beef in the post present defensive match up problems. However, the lack of a consistent go-to scorer will hurt the Hurricanes, especially in crunch time. The Hurricanes likely will finish in the bottom third but will be a dangerous team in the ACC Tournament and could make a surprising push for an automatic bid.

Boston College Eagles (15-16, 6-10)

Glad to Have You Back:

Donahue arrives at Chestnut Hill with some talented players who can help make his first season with the Eagles at least competitive. Forward Joe Trapani is the team’s senior leader, and he was tops on the team in scoring and rebounding last season. Three other returning starters will join Trapani: Reggie Jackson, Corey Raji and Biko Paris.

We’ll Miss You:

After Skinner’s departure, Evan Ravenel and Rakim Sanders opted to transfer rather than stick it out under Donahue. Ravenel, primarily a reserve forward, left for Ohio State, while Sanders, a regular starter, chose to follow former Boston College assistant Ed Cooley to Fairfield. Sanders averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. However, he frequently struggled with his shot.

The lone graduating senior from last year’s squad was Tyler Roche, who was an active albeit unspectacular member of the frontcourt rotation.

Welcome to the Program:

Donahue’s arrival in April cost Boston College a couple of Skinner’s recruits. However, the new coach imported Danny Rubin, a decent three-point shooter from Chevy Chase, Md., and Gabriel Moton, an energetic point guard who averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game last season in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Who They Play:

Boston College’s best non-conference match ups will likely come in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., during the Thanksgiving break. The Eagles draw Texas A&M in the first round of the eight-team tournament and could also face Wisconsin, Temple, Notre Dame, California or Georgia. Besides that tournament, the Eagles face several familiar New England foes: Providence, Rhode Island, Harvard and Massachusetts. The Eagles play only two true road games during non-conference action.

In conference play, the Eagles face a few tough teams twice: Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. And the team’s lone match ups against Clemson, Duke and Florida State are all on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Like several other ACC teams, Boston College worked hard last season to extend possessions. The Eagles were one of the most proficient teams in the country at collecting offensive rebounds, and Raji was usually in the thick of everything. He led the team with 90 offensive rebounds, which is 12 more rebounds than he grabbed at the defensive end. Jackson and Trapani were no slouches either; each grabbed more than 50 offensive rebounds last season.

Room for Improvement:

Guess which team was No. 3 in the country last season in effective field goal percentage, based on Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency metrics? No, not Boston College. Cornell. Under Donahue, the Big Red were ruthless marksmen, shooting nearly 43 percent from long range. They weren’t too shabby overall either, shooting better than 48 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line.

On the other hand, the Eagles were far less proficient on offense, shooting 44.7 percent from the field and only 32.6 percent from three-point range. That’s more than 10 percentage points worse than Cornell. If Donahue hopes to enact a similar offensive strategy, this team could deliver some ugly results. However, Donahue will likely mold his approach to the team’s strengths, which is Raji’s ability to get to the basket and Trapani and Jackson’s skills at working inside out to stretch the court with well-timed three-point attempts.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Although the Eagles will likely be overmatched in many ACC games, don’t bet against the Eagles winning two out of three home games against North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Maryland in early February. As the Eagles adjust to Donahue’s system, the seniors will settle in and lead this team into some hard-fought ACC battles. One of the reasons for Skinner’s ouster was a perceived – and observed – lack of home court support. Donahue would be well advised to take that to heart and make sure the Eagles find a way to protect their nest by late in the season.

Outlook:

With Donahue leading the flock, the Eagles have a bright future. Cornell was one of the darlings of the NCAA Tournament as Donahue’s sharpshooters captivated the upset-minded imaginations of fans throughout the Northeast and across the country. After Donahue brings in some of his recruits, Boston College should be able to build a larger-scale version of the Big Red.

But for this season, the growing pains will likely result in double-digit losses in the ACC and a bottom-third finish. Anything better than that should propel Donahue into the conversation for ACC coach of the year.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (20-11 9-7)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Jeff Bzdelik era will begin with a roster in flux. After losing four starters from last season’s team, Wake Forest will turn to sophomores C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart to lead a team that has only one junior or senior who averaged more than 10 minutes per game last season. Harris and Stewart also are the team’s leading returning scorers, after combining for a modest 17.2 points per game last season.

We’ll Miss You:

The biggest off-season departure is coach Dino Gaudio, whom the university dismissed after a disappointing end to last season. The Demon Deacons stumbled past Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s first round before losing in an utter blowout to Kentucky in the second round. The embarrassing season finale was the team’s sixth loss in eight games.

In addition, the Demon Deacons will need to adjust to life without NBA Draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu and electric point guard Ishmael Smith. The pair led the team in scoring and fueled the team’s offense last season. In addition, seniors L.D. Williams, David Weaver and Chas McFarland graduated after last season, and Tony Woods left the school after an off-court incident.

Welcome to the Program:

Bzdelik is obviously the biggest new arrival in Winston-Salem. The new coach has said that he won’t necessarily install the ridiculously slow-paced game he led at Air Force and Colorado. But don’t expect the Demon Deacons to return to the high-octane game of the Chris Paul years either.

Bzdelik won’t be the only new man on campus. Gaudio’s parting gift to Wake Forest was a sensational 2010 recruiting class that includes shooting guard J.T. Terrell, swingman Travis McKie, and big men Melvin Tabb and Carson Desrosiers. Point guard Tony Chenault is not as highly rated, but he’s no slouch and could work into the rotation behind Harris and senior Gary Clark. With so much roster turnover, the freshmen will see plenty of minutes right from the opening tip of the season.

Who They Play:

Wake Forest has a few huge non-conference games on its schedule, notably games against Xavier and Gonzaga. The Demon Deacons also will likely get either VCU or Winthrop in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament. That’s no gimme en route to the tournament’s finals in New York, where UCLA, Tennessee or Villanova could await.

In conference play, Wake Forest will play two games apiece against Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. The team’s lone games against Boston College, Clemson and North Carolina come on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

In the first 23 games last season, Wake Forest’s defense only let six opponents score 70 points or more. During the meltdown during the final eight games, opponents reached that mark five times. Under new coach Bzdelik, the Demon Deacons need to remain defensively sound while focusing on peaking late in the season, rather than in January. That cost Gaudio his job.

Room for Improvement:

Wake Forest’s offense was often stagnant, and the team’s inability to stretch the court was a major factor. The team shot 30.8 percent from three-point range. The good news is that the team’s best shooters – Harris, Stewart and Clark – all return this season. All three must approach 40 percent from beyond the arc to force opponents to step out and open space in the middle for Ty Walker and some of the younger post players.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Wake Forest likely will struggle early in the season as returning players adjust to Bzdelik’s style of play and a bunch of freshmen learn on the fly. Although the Demon Deacons play the NIT Season Tip-Off opening rounds in Winston-Salem, don’t be shocked if VCU is the team that ends up playing in the tournament finals in New York City.

Outlook:

Wake Forest is entering a rebuilding year. The team has plenty of reason to be optimistic with only one senior likely to contribute major minutes. But this season will likely feature quite a few rough patches as the Demon Deacons fall toward the bottom third of the ACC standings.

Conference Outlook

The ACC will deliver yet another intense season filled with thrilling games and outstanding players. In past years, the ACC has taken a back seat to the Big East and Big 12. That could happen again this season as the conference lacks more than one or two elite teams that will remain in the top 15 of the polls throughout the season.

However, the ACC’s greatest strength is its parity. The bottom teams in the ACC are usually much stronger than the bottom teams in other power conferences. That won’t change this season, as rebuilding teams such as Boston College and Wake Forest will still be capable of knocking off teams that finish in the top third of the standings.

Come March 13, here’s where various ACC teams can expect to play in the post-season.

NCAA Tournament-bound:

Duke: If the Blue Devils aren’t a No. 1 or 2 seed, something went horribly wrong along the way this season.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies have the makings of a dangerous No. 4 or 5 seed. Their peak potential is likely a No. 3 seed.

Florida State: The Seminoles are on pace to reach the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season, likely as a No. 7 or 8 seed.

North Carolina: After last season’s disaster, a No. 7 or 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament won’t seem like a complete disaster as it might in other seasons. This team’s potential to earn a No. 4 or 5 seed is fairly high, but so is its bust potential.

Clemson: The Tigers won’t likely be highly ranked much of the season, but they will pull off enough ugly, big wins to earn a No. 10 or 11 seed.

North Carolina State: With Lowe’s job on the line, the Wolfpack are in position to be among the final 10 teams to earn an at-large bid. Only time will tell if that’s enough to keep Lowe around for 2011-12.

NIT-bound:

Virginia: Coach Tony Bennett has the Cavaliers heading in the right direction, but they’ll need a tour in the NIT before they’re close to ready for the Big Dance.

Maryland: This is a pretty sharp decline after renowned success during the Greivis Vasquez era.

Georgia Tech: Coach Paul Hewitt’s job isn’t 100 percent safe, so the Yellow Jackets will need to produce some wins when they land in the NIT.

Miami: The Hurricanes will upset a couple of the ACC’s better teams, which will earn this young, talented team enough national cred to warrant a trip to the NIT.

No post-season play:

Boston College: The Eagles won’t be awful, but they’re not going to be good enough for the post-season this year. Get to Boston College while you can, because Donahue will bring in some sharpshooters soon to make this a dangerous team.

Wake Forest: Young talent and a new coach will lead to trouble in Winston-Salem this year, but Jeff Bzdelik gets a free pass this season as long as Wake Forest can stay close in most of its games, especially against Duke and North Carolina.

Although draft night is still two and a half weeks away, every team is busy crunching the numbers on players from John Wall and Evan Turner to Jon Scheyer and Scottie Reynolds. They want a player who can contribute next season — or sometime in the near future. In many cases, that requires filling a specific need. But in others, teams go with the most talented player available.

Obviously, draft results largely depend on the available talent and team needs. However, several trends have emerged during the past few years. And one trend might not bode well for someone like Turner.

Point forwards can dominate the college game. They have the ball handling skills to cut to the hoop, shooting touch to extend defenses beyond their comfort zone, and size to post up smaller guards. However, their skills don’t always translate to the NBA.

In 2008, Italian forward Danilo Gallinari went to New York at No. 6, and Milwaukee picked West Virginia’s Joe Alexander two picks later. Those top 10 picks didn’t exactly inspire much excitement for undersized forwards who like to shoot. Gallinari averaged 6.1 points in 28 games for the Knicks during his rookie season, and Alexander struggled to put up 4.7 points in 59 games. Gallinari improved significantly in his sophomore campaign, but the Bucks gave up on Alexander, shipping him to Chicago for John Salmons.

In 2009, no one took a shot at a point forward until New Jersey took Louisville’s Terrence Williams with the No. 11 pick. Shortly after Williams came off the board, Gerald Henderson and Austin Daye followed. Of the three, Williams fared the best, averaging 8.4 points per game in his rookie season. He appears to be a decent part of the Nets’ rebuilding plans. The other two didn’t impress their teams, the Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons, respectively. Neither averaged much more than five points per game. What’s worse is Henderson’s shooting: 35.6 percent from the field and 21.1 percent from three-point range. For a 215-pound point forward, that’s unacceptable. And it will scare teams away from guys who haven’t proven that they can be great shooters or legitimate post players.

That spells trouble for Turner. Ohio State’s junior superstar averaged 20.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this past season en route to Player of the Year honors. However, Turner shot a decent-but-not-spectacular 36.4 percent from three-point range. And at 6-7 and 215 pounds, Turner might find scoring much tougher in the NBA.

Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson is another player looking to prove he can make it in the league as a small forward. In his one season with the Orange, Johnson dominated opponents for 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Unlike Turner, though, Johnson shot 41.5 percent from three-point range, proving that he has the goods to consistently deliver from long range.

Turner and Johnson seem to be safe top 10 picks, though perhaps not as high in the top 10 as expected. However, Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu might be in trouble. He seems to more closely resemble Daye or Alexander than Turner or Johnson. Aminu is 6-9, 215 pounds and a 44.7 percent shooter. It’s even uglier from three-point range, where Aminu shoots 27.3 percent. Aminu is a hard worker, and he averaged 10.7 rebounds per game for the Demon Deacons. But he’s a risky pick, who could follow in the footsteps of other college point forwards who don’t dominate the post but aren’t good enough shooters to play the 3 spot in the NBA.

If the trends of the past couple of years continue, we might see some surprising results at the top of the draft and some long waits for players projected to hear their names called toward the end of the lottery. In a couple of weeks, we’ll find out how much emphasis NBA executives place on recent history.

When the season started, we expected Duke to emerge as a national championship contender if the Big Three – Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith – could lead the Blue Devils night in and night out without wearing down.

In November, that seemed like a tall order because the Blue Devils just didn’t have much depth behind those perimeter players. But Scheyer, Singler and Smith fulfilled their potential by carrying Duke to its fourth national championship under coach Mike Krzyzewski.

In the past, Duke has earned its reputation as one of the most hated teams in the country because the national media dwell on every game – much like the media painfully did this season with North Carolina as the Tar Heels crumbled without Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green. But for some reason, there was no hype surrounding this Blue Devils squad. Somehow, Coach K’s team flew under the radar while Kansas, Kentucky and the entire Big East captured the majority of the national coverage.

In the end, Duke proved that its regular-season success wasn’t only the product of a down year in the ACC. The Blue Devils weren’t just the conference’s best team; they were the nation’s best team. Duke had to take down Cinderella – aka Butler – to claim that title. And in the process, the Blue Devils and Bulldogs delivered one of the most thrilling national title games of the past decade.

Few people seriously expected North Carolina to repeat as national champions. But they almost did – if you count the NIT winner as a national champion. After an utterly disastrous regular season that saw the Tar Heels fall apart because of injuries and inexperience, North Carolina pulled things together in the NIT to make a run to the championship game, which the Tar Heels lost to Dayton.

With North Carolina falling from the ACC’s elite, Maryland moved up the conference’s caste system. Fiery guard Greivis Vasquez sparked the Terrapins to a share of the regular-season title. Unfortunately, Maryland peaked about two weeks too early when the Terrapins won a thriller against the Blue Devils in College Park in early March. After that, Maryland failed to win two consecutive games, ending in a second-round defeat to No. 5-seed Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament.

Four other teams joined Duke and Maryland in the NCAA Tournament: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Like Maryland, none of them won more than one game in the tournament.

Outside Duke, the conference lacked a second legitimate powerhouse. If that’s your definition of a down year, then yes, the ACC was down. But the bottom of the conference proved to be better than the cellar dwellers of nearly every other conference, as demonstrated by unlikely ACC Tournament runs by Miami and North Carolina State.

Here’s a recap of the 2009-10 season for ACC teams.

Final 2009-10 Standings

ACC Tournament

The ACC Tournament was a harbinger of the NCAA Tournament, with five major upsets in 11 games. But at the end of the tournament, Duke was cutting down the nets.

The Blue Devils won their second-consecutive conference title and ninth since 1999 by beating No. 7-seed Georgia Tech 65-61. Duke’s difficult run against seemingly overmatched opponents – No. 9-seed Virginia, No. 12-seed Miami and the Yellow Jackets – prepared the Blue Devils for a hard-fought run to the national title in the NCAA Tournament. Georgia Tech sealed its bid to the NCAA Tournament with an impressive run that included an upset of No. 2-seed Maryland.

No. 11-seed North Carolina State and No. 12-seed Miami provided the biggest upsets of the conference tournament. The Wolfpack opened the tournament by nipping No. 6-seed Clemson 59-57 and then beating No. 3-seed Florida State 58-52. The Hurricanes overcame a bad ACC regular season by upsetting No. 5-seed Wake Forest and No. 4-seed Virginia Tech. Duke was the only team seeded No. 6 or better to win even a single conference tournament game.

Hoopville’s All-ACC Awards

Player of the Year: Jon Scheyer, Duke

Rookie of the Year: Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Defensive Player of the Year: Solomon Alabi, Florida State

Coach of the Year: Gary Williams, Maryland

First-Team All-ACC:

Jon Scheyer, Duke

Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Kyle Singler, Duke

Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech

Second-Team All-ACC:

Sylven Landesberg, Virginia

Nolan Smith, Duke

Tracy Smith, North Carolina State

Trevor Booker, Clemson

Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech

Third-Team All-ACC:

Joe Trapani, Boston College

Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech

Ed Davis, North Carolina

Solomon Alabi, Florida State

Season Highlights

8 Things We Saw Coming

1. Duke won a share of the regular season championship and then dominated the conference tournament.

2. Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland joined the Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament.

3. But none of those four advanced far in the tournament.

4. Virginia struggled under new coach Tony Bennett, who put the brakes on the Cavaliers’ pace to one of the slowest tempos in the conference.

5. Miami dropped toward the bottom of the conference with an influx of young talent, such as Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant.

6. Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez went head-to-head with Duke’s best player, Jon Scheyer, for the conference’s Player of the Year award.

7. Virginia Tech established one of the best backcourts in the country with Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson – and the juniors look ready to dominate next season if Delaney backs out of the NBA Draft.

8. Florida State’s defensive prowess was remarkably better than the team’s offensive prowess, and it was just enough to carry the Seminoles to an NCAA Tournament bid.

8 Things We Thought We’d See

1. North Carolina was supposed to compete for second place in the conference, but instead finished tied for second worst.

2. The Tar Heels seemed ready to compete with seniors like Marcus Ginyard in the lineup. But Ginyard couldn’t stay healthy for a second consecutive season, and injuries helped derail the Tar Heels’ season.

3. We expected Duke’s highly-touted freshman recruit Mason Plumlee to be a factor. He ended up with 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.

4. Likewise, Clemson’s Milton Jennings saw even less time, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game.

5. Wake Forest is usually an offensive juggernaut. But the Demon Deacons struggled on offense despite the presence of a veteran point guard, Ishmael Smith, and talented post players like Al-Farouq Aminu, Chas McFarland and Tony Woods.

6. Georgia Tech point guard Iman Shumpert focused on playing under more control. But the Yellow Jackets couldn’t significantly cut down on their turnovers, committing 16.4 turnovers per game this season compared to 16.8 last season.

7. Usually tough and consistent Boston College remained tough but was anything but consistent, losing five ACC games by double digits.

8. The ACC is traditionally a showcase for electric offense. But only three teams finished in the top 40 in offensive efficiency.

8 Things We Didn’t See Coming

1. Once again, North Carolina stunk. Yes, expectations were too high. Yes, injuries always hurt. But this team looked lost and occasionally apathetic, which utterly baffled coach Roy Williams.

2. Wake Forest exceeded expectations on defense, which had been the team’s bugaboo for several years.

3. Despite the strong defense and a return to the NCAA Tournament, the Demon Deacons axed Dino Gaudio because of his lack of post-season success.

4. Clemson and Boston College also had to find new coaches after Oliver Purnell shockingly bolted for DePaul and the Eagles parted ways with Al Skinner.

5. On the court, the midseason maturation of Duke’s Brian Zoubek was the unlikely catalyst for the Blue Devils’ ascension from contender to champion.

6. Virginia Tech once again proved that you cannot discount a Seth Greenberg-coached team, which finished third in the conference.

7. Quite a few ACC teams – namely, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech – channeled their inner Big 10 spirit and devoted far more energy to defense than offense.

8. Maryland jumped from the middle of the pack to near the top of the ACC thanks to another dominating season from Vasquez and just enough support from the rest of the team to consistently beat down ACC foes.

Teams of the Rise

Virginia Tech

We should just leave the Hokies in this category each season, unless Greenberg take another job.

Virginia Tech finished third in the ACC this season and just missed the NCAA Tournament because of a weak non-conference schedule and lack of quality wins. If Greenberg lines up more worthy non-conference foes, the Hokies will build a stronger résumé for the 2011 tournament. They certainly will have the lineup to do so.

The Hokies lose only Lewis Witcher to graduation. A veteran lineup anchored by Delaney – assuming he doesn’t stay in the NBA Draft – Hudson, Jeff Allen, J.T. Thompson and Terrell Bell could become the favorite to challenge Duke for next season’s conference championship.

Florida State

The Seminoles remain here as long as Alabi decides to return to school instead of entering the NBA Draft. If he comes back to Tallahassee, the Seminoles will remain one of the best defensive teams in the country. And they have to get better on offense, right?

Florida State was just abysmal offensively for much of the season, committing nearly 17 turnovers per game. The Seminoles struggled as a team to hit shots when they didn’t turn it over. From three-point range, Florida State shot only 33.5 percent, and from the free throw line, the Seminoles were only 64.4 percent.

North Carolina

Thanks to a run to the NIT championship game, the Tar Heels salvaged a disastrous season and inspired hope for next season.

In particular, Larry Drew II finally looked capable of running the Tar Heels’ offense, which should be more powerful next season. Freshmen Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland must become better long-range shooters. If they don’t, incoming freshmen Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock and Kendall Marshall will challenge them for playing time. One reason the Tar Heels struggled this season is teams didn’t need to respect their outside shooting. That shouldn’t be true next season, which will open the lane for Ed Davis (if he returns, as he declared for the NBA Draft), Tyler Zeller, the Wear twins and John Henson.

With so much talent on this roster, it’s hard to imagine that North Carolina won’t be on the rise from a 10th-place finish.

Teams on the Decline

Maryland

The Terrapins took advantage of their window of opportunity. With the implosion in Chapel Hill, there was a gaping void after Duke at the top of the standings, and Maryland stepped up to fill it.

But with the graduation of Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne, the Terrapins will lose three players who averaged at least 30 minutes per game and accounted for 54.7 percent of the team’s scoring and 67.3 percent of the team’s assists.

Coach Gary Williams has been reluctant to trust his bench in recent seasons. He won’t have a choice next season when those bench players become starters.

Virginia

Coach Tony Bennett will get a fresh start after his first season with the Cavaliers because seven players who began the season are leaving the program.

Although Bennett has an opportunity to shape this team as he desires, it’s hard to imagine the Cavaliers improving significantly without Sylven Landesberg, who averaged 17.3 points per game for a team that struggled to score. He accounted for more than one-quarter of the team’s points.

Besides Landesberg, Bennett will need to replace the production of Calvin Baker, Jerome Meyinsse, Soloman Tat, Jeff Jones and Tristan Spurlock.

Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons shocked everyone by firing Dino Gaudio and replacing him with Jeff Bzdelik. Yes, Gaudio had failed to win an NCAA Tournament game despite having three NBA first-round draft picks pass through Winston-Salem, assuming Aminu goes early in this year’s draft.

But Gaudio was attracting great high school players and winning many of the in-state recruiting battles. His teams peaked too early in the season twice. But at least they found a way to the top.

Bzdelik prefers a slower pace than Wake Forest is accustomed to playing. And the Demon Deacons will need to find a new point guard to learn that offense because Ishmael Smith is graduating. He’s taking several key teammates with him, as Chas McFarland, David Weaver and L.D. Willams have also finished their playing careers as Demon Deacons, while Aminu is bolting the team for NBA money.

Despite some talented young players, this team figures to go through at least one season of growing pains under a new coach.

Next Season

Entering this season, many experts figured that Duke and North Carolina would contend for the conference title, but they were likely a year away from challenging for a national championship. Duke proved the experts wrong by taking the national title this year. And they might be the front-runner to do it again next season.

The Blue Devils return Singler and Smith, in addition to talented young big men like Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. Sharpshooter Seth Curry will be eligible after transferring from Liberty, and Andre Dawkins will step into the point guard role. If he struggles, Krzyzewski can turn to freshman Kyrie Irving, who is an electric recruit out of New Jersey. The Blue Devils also are adding Joshua Hairston and Tyler Thornton to a solid recruiting class.

Besides Duke, Virginia Tech and Florida State should build on their success from this past season to fill out the conference’s elite. Wake Forest and North Carolina will have plenty of talent on their roster to possibly join those three, but both teams have plenty of issues to overcome.

In Raleigh, coach Sidney Lowe must elevate the Wolfpack to the top half of the conference or he almost certainly will be looking for a new job after next season. Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt might also be on the hot seat if the Yellow Jackets significantly regress – a likely scenario with the losses of Favors and Lawal to the NBA.

If you want a very early sleeper pick to reach the NCAA Tournament, assuming its only 65 teams and not 96, look south to Miami. Coach Frank Haith has reloaded that roster with talented young guards who figure to make their mark next season.

And if the NCAA Tournament expands to 96 teams, look for the ACC to place every single team in the tournament unless expansion includes a rule that teams must have at least a .400 winning percentage in your conference – or something like that.

As Gaudio looks for a new job, he’ll be sending an impressive résumé to potential employers. In three seasons at Wake Forest, he had a 66.4 winning percentage, reached the NCAA Tournament two out of three seasons and attracted a couple of top 25 recruiting classes. Maryland’s Lefty Driesell, in the wake of the Len Bias tragedy, is the only ACC coach with a better winning percentage to get canned. But it wasn’t good enough for the Demon Deacons to keep Gaudio around.

When Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman announced that the team would be parting ways with Gaudio, he cited the Demon Deacons’ post-season failures. In 2008-09, Wake Forest peaked in January, reaching No. 1 in the polls before fading down the stretch, losing in the team’s first games of the ACC and NCAA tournaments to worse seeds. This season, Wake Forest had similar struggles, losing in the first round of the ACC Tournament to No. 12-seed Miami. In the NCAA Tournament, the No. 8-seed Demon Deacons beat Texas before losing by 30 to top-seeded Kentucky in the second round.

In sum, Gaudio had a 1-5 record in the ACC and NCAA Tournament in three seasons. That’s not impressive. Of course, Dean Smith didn’t even get the Tar Heels to an NCAA Tournament until his sixth season in Chapel Hill. And Coach K didn’t reach the Big Dance until his fourth season with Duke.

However, it’s not like Wake Forest has the rich tradition of Duke or North Carolina. In fact, the Demon Deacons have fewer NCAA Tournament appearances and wins than North Carolina State and Maryland. Historically, Wake Forest’s post-season numbers — 28 wins in 22 appearances, with one Final Four— most closely align with Georgia Tech and Virginia. Since 1962, Wake Forest has made it past the Sweet 16 only three times. And they haven’t reached the Final Four since 1962.

By firing Gaudio, Wellman signified that he expects the Demon Deacons to be a championship contender on a regular basis. Those are lofty expectations for a program that hasn’t had such aspirations since Billy Packer was on the court. Wake Forest came closing during the Tim Duncan era, but the Demon Deacons managed to reach the Elite Eight only once, in 1996, even with one of the best four-year players in ACC history.

Under Gaudio, Wake Forest was consistently in contention for great recruits. He was instrumental in forming some of Wake Forest’s best classes of the past decade, including while he was working as an assistant to his mentor, Skip Prosser, whom Gaudio replaced in 2007 after Prosser died of a heart attack.

Some people speculated that Prosser’s death was evidence of the excessive stress that coaches face. Wake Forest’s firing of Gaudio lends credence to that theory. Who can feel safe when it’s not acceptable to win two-thirds of your games and constantly put an entertaining, talented product on the court in front of a boisterous, packed house?

Yes, Wake Forest slipped up in the post-season recently. However, Prosser failed to reach the NCAA Tournament during his final two seasons. And his teams also had some disastrous NCAA Tournament results. The Chris Paul-fueled juggernaut of 2005 came to an unexpectedly early demise when the No. 2-seeded Demon Deacons lost to No. 7-seed West Virginia. The No. 2 spot was unlucky under Prosser — Wake Forest lost to No. 10-seed Auburn in 2003.

Upsets happen. Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Roy Williams all witnessed major NCAA Tournament disappointments at least once in their careers. Wake Forest will never know whether Gaudio could have joined that pantheon of coaching legends by continuing to draw supremely talented recruits to Winston-Salem. Instead, Gaudio will likely land at another school within a year or two and start to rebuild elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons want to move up the ACC pecking order and have just set a precedent of axing good coaches who don’t find a way to make it happen. Let’s hope Wake Forest’s next coach can channel his inner Zen master to handle those blood pressure-elevating expectations.

With all that negativity, the ACC enters the NCAA Tournament looking to re-establish its position as one of the top power conferences. Duke has an excellent shot at making that happen as one of the best teams in the country that nobody wants to love. Maryland has an outstanding squad that seemed destined to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament — until the committee placed the Terrapins in Kansas’ region.

The rest of the ACC teams in the tournament play great defense but have suspect offenses. A couple of them have favorable match ups, while a couple others look destined to start the off-season before this weekend. Here’s a complete preview of the ACC’s representatives in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke Blue Devils (Overall: 29-5, ACC: 13-3)

No. 1 seed, South Region

The Blue Devils enter the tournament facing criticism because they received a No. 1 seed instead of West Virginia. The naysayers are further enraged that the selection committee awarded Duke a better No. 1 seed, placing the Blue Devils in the South Region, on the S-curve than Syracuse, which would play its regional semifinal and final games in Salt Lake City. With all this talk about the Blue Devils not being worthy, they have plenty to prove.

But let’s be the Devils’ advocate for a moment. Duke has played like one of the two best teams in the country all season, according to Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency statistics. In fact, based on offensive and defensive efficiency, Duke should be the favorite to win the national championship, not Kansas. Swallow that, critics!

Of course, a team’s performance on the court often contradicts their profile on paper. For Duke to reach the Final Four, the Blue Devils will need to remain ruthlessly efficient on offense. Duke is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, anchored by sharp-shooting Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Each of those three shoots better than 38 percent from behind the arc and has made at least 49 three-pointers so far. Duke’s offense runs like a well-oiled machine because the team makes the most of its possessions. Duke is one of the best teams at avoiding turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds.

Defensively, Duke simply makes it hard to score. The Blue Devils force turnovers during more than 20 percent of opponents’ possessions. Teams that don’t turn it over still struggle to score against a defense that allows opponents to only shoot 44.3 percent from inside the arc and 28.2 percent behind it. Duke’s ability to shut down opponents’ long-range shooters is critical to making a deep run in March. Three-pointers can be the great equalizer for seemingly overmatched underdogs. But Duke won’t let someone win that way.

Based on Duke’s draw, the Blue Devils should reach the Final Four. But they will encounter resistance as early as the Sweet 16. No. 5-seed Texas A&M and No. 12-seed Utah State could challenge Duke’s Final Four aspirations in that round. In the Elite Eight, Duke could face No. 3-seed Baylor in Houston in front of a hostile crowd. But the Blue Devils are accustomed to hostile crows at every road game. Look for Duke to reach the championship game before running into the unstoppable force out of Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks simply have too many weapons for a shallow Duke team that otherwise matches up favorably against Kansas.

Maryland Terrapins (Overall 23-8, ACC: 13-3)

No. 4 seed, Midwest Region

If Maryland were seeded as a No. 5 or 6 seed in any region outside of Kansas’, the Terrapins would be a trendy pick to wreck some brackets and knock off better seeds. But alas, the Terrapins are a No. 4 seed and would likely face top-seeded in the Sweet 16 of the Midwest Region. Maryland possesses the firepower to hang with Kansas, but the Terrapins don’t have enough defense to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Maryland enters the NCAA Tournament with the No. 6 most efficient offense. Senior superstar Greivis Vasquez is the catalyst for the offense, which puts up nearly 80 points per game. Vasquez contributes almost one-quarter of that scoring, averaging 19.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He’s not the best shooter in the tournament, making about 43 percent of his attempts, but he is one of the most fiery leaders. Fueled by Vasquez’s leadership, a trio of experienced players will be ready to contribute. Landon Milbourne, Eric Hayes and Sean Mosley will need to continue to score in double figures to help the Terrapins advance past No. 13 Houston in the first round and then No. 5 Michigan State or No. 12 New Mexico State.

Against Houston, the Terrapins will face the nation’s leading scorer in Aubrey Coleman. Look for Maryland to give up plenty of points to Coleman but limit the production of any other Cougar. The Terrapins would likely obliterate the defensively challenged Aggies. Coach Tom Izzo’s Spartans would provide a more formidable match up, but the Terrapins will win that one on the strength of clutch performances by Vasquez and Hayes. But Kansas will end Maryland’s hopes. In all, the ACC co-champions should be happy with a run to the Sweet 16. It would mark their best season in nearly a decade.

Clemson Tigers (Overall: 21-10, ACC: 9-7)

No. 7 seed, East Region

As the No. 7 seed in the East Region, Clemson has a tough draw. The Achilles’ heel for the Tigers has been a downright ugly turnover rate. More than 20 percent of the team’s possessions end in a turnover. That’s a problem when facing No. 10-seed Missouri, which is one of the three best teams in the country at forcing turnovers. The Tigers desperately need guards Demontez Stitt and Andre Young to take care of the ball. The two combine to average 4.4 turnovers per game and only 5.6 assists per game. That’s not a great ratio for the team’s primary ball-handlers.

However, if Clemson can cut down the turnovers, senior Trevor Booker will have a huge day. He leads the team with 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, with about one-third of those rebounds coming at the offensive end. Missouri is one of the worst teams in the country at keeping opponents off the glass.

On defense, the Tigers from Missouri might play right into the strength of the Tigers from Clemson. Missouri likes to jack up lots of three-pointers. But Clemson allow only 29.4 percent three-point shooting this season, ranked tenth-best.

Clemson will win a wild one against Missouri that should see plenty of turnover-induced scoring runs. But the Tigers will run into trouble against West Virginia. That game could start as a blowout for West Virginia and end with Clemson making it interesting before falling short at the end.

Florida State Seminoles (Overall: 22-9, ACC: 10-6)

No. 9 seed, West Region

Based on their offensive inefficiency, the Seminoles have no business beating anyone in the tournament. But Florida State’s defense manages to make games ugly enough to give the Seminoles a chance. As the No. 9 seed in the West Region, Florida State will face a stiff challenge from No. 8 Gonzaga. In the end, Gonzaga’s balance will undo another strong defensive performance by Florida State.

The Seminoles are among the 15 worst teams in the country at protecting the ball. All those turnovers will lead to defeat against Gonzaga. And if they fall behind, the Seminoles will struggle to rally because they shoot only 33.5 percent from three-point range. Center Solomon Alabi will deliver another strong performance in the paint, but he could easily finish with more blocks than the team has three-pointers. Barring an epic defensive performance, that’s not a good recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida State’s best chance at victory is to keep the score under 60 points and maintain at least a two-possession throughout the second half. The Seminoles are a bad free throw shooting team and will need as large of a cushion as possible in the closing moments to stop a late rally. Gonzaga probably won’t even need that, though.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Overall: 19-10, ACC: 9-7)

No. 9 seed, East Region

Wake Forest, the No. 9 seed in the East Region, has a veteran lineup with three senior starters and a future NBA Draft pick in sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu. But for the second consecutive season, the Demon Deacons are sliding at the end of the season as losers of five of their last six games. To avoid a second straight one-and-done NCAA Tournament performance, the Demon Deacons need to find a way past equally underwhelming No. 8 Texas.

With six wins against the RPI top 50, Wake Forest has the talent needed to beat the Longhorns and maybe even challenge top-seeded Kentucky. But it won’t happen. The team’s offense is floundering, primarily because of the two-headed monster of turnovers and bad shooting. Wake Forest ranks among the bottom half of Division I teams in protecting the ball, and the Demon Deacons shoot a dismal 31.3 percent from three-point range and 47.6 percent inside the arc. Even if Wake Forest has a lead, the team’s 66.0 percent free throw shooting could jeopardize the win.

Aminu will struggle against Texas’ superstar, Damion James. He might approach his average of 15.7 points per game, but if Aminu needs to guard James on the perimeter throughout the game, he won’t be able to grab as many rebounds as usual (10.7 per game). Likewise, James and Dexter Pittman have the size needed to box out Wake Forest’s big men and cut off one of the Demon Deacons’ strengths: their ability to grab offensive rebounds.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Overall: 22-12, ACC: 7-9)

No. 10 seed, Midwest Region

Like Wake Forest and Florida State, the Yellow Jackets are far better at stopping opponents than scoring. But in comparison to those two ACC peers, the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region is much better offensively. Georgia Tech will face an offensively oriented team in No. 7-seed Oklahoma State. Both teams have played inconsistently this season, and the Cowboys might rely too much on scoring sensation James Anderson. That would behoove the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech doesn’t let opponents shoot well from anywhere, and Anderson will struggle to find clean looks against the much taller Yellow Jackets. Forwards Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors will need to the difference makers for Georgia Tech. The two big men combine to average 25.6 points, 17.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Collectively, they grab more than six offensive rebounds per game. In a game that likely will figure plenty of missed shots, rebounding will be critical, and Georgia Tech has an advantage.

Interestingly, Georgia Tech’s likely second-round opponent, No. 2-seed Ohio State, has a similar profile to Oklahoma State, with Evan Turner dominating the offense and the rest of the team coming along for the ride. But the rest of the Buckeyes are much better than the rest of the Cowboys. Ohio State will take advantage of Georgia Tech’s proclivity to commit critical turnovers to win a closer than expected game.

In summary, the ACC figures to have mostly expected results. As a No. 1 seed, Duke is supposed to reach at least the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils will deliver on that promise en route to a championship game appearance — and loss — to Kansas. Besides Kansas, only Maryland will reach the Sweet 16. Wake Forest and Florida State will fail to win a game, while Georgia Tech and Clemson will advance one round before losing to No. 2 seeds.

However, the ACC will likely surprise critics with Duke’s success and close losses to presumably far superior teams.

However, the Longhorns fell into a tailspin and finished the season by losing nine of 16 games. Instead of receiving a No. 1 seed, Texas will have to face a No. 1 seed in the second round. The selection committee gave the disintegrating Longhorns a No. 8 seed in the East region. The Longhorns will face No. 9 Wake Forest in New Orleans with a possible second-round match up against No. 1 Kentucky. That’s a dramatic fall in less than two months.

A few other teams appeared on pace for great seeds before faltering down the stretch.

• Purdue fell to No. 4 after remaining in consideration for a No. 1 seed as recently as two weeks ago. The loss of forward Robbie Hummel might derail the Boilermakers’ Final Four aspirations.
• Wake Forest lost five of its final six games, including an opening-round ACC tournament game to No. 12-seed Miami. As a result, the selection committee dropped the Demon Deacons to a No. 9 seed, which could be considered generous.
• Utah State looked to be in contention for a No. 8 or 9 seed before losing the WAC championship game to New Mexico State. The selection committee gave Utah State a No. 12 seed as a result.
• Tennessee has wins against Kansas and Kentucky this season, but the Volunteers’ last game was a 30-point drubbing to the Wildcats in the SEC tournament. A lack of other quality wins and that blowout led to the Volunteers falling to a No. 6 seed.

While some teams played their way down to worse seeds, a few other stormed through February and early March to rise in seeding. Notre Dame is the most notable ascender because the Fighting Irish were barely in bubble contention when superstar Luke Harangody went down to injury. But the Irish found a way to rattle off six straight wins before falling to West Virginia in the Big East tournament semifinals. That win streak included upsets of Pittsburgh — twice — Georgetown, Connecticut and Marquette. The streak added several great wins to a profile that already featured a marquee win in South Bend against West Virginia. The late season resurgence delivered Notre Dame an invitation to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed, one of the most remarkable late-season charges in recent years.

Here are some of the other late bloomers.

• En route to a No. 3 seed, Georgetown also had a late run in the Big East with wins against Cincinnati, Syracuse and Marquette.
• Before losing to Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, Maryland had won nine of 10 games, including a huge victory against Duke in College Park and road wins at Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Florida State. The selection committee gave the ACC co-champion a No. 4 seed.
• Ohio State enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed thanks to a sensational finish in which the Buckeyes won 13 of their last 14 games, including three wins against Illinois and solid victories against Minnesota and Michigan State.